After walking up the roads, they reached the first town. Michael could see small cabins and houses clinging to the mountain's surface. But it was the swastika banners and flags that caught his attention. They were everywhere and he saw them wherever he turned his head. He also noticed white banners with a man's face who had a toothbrush moustache on his upper lip and the slogan Heil Adolf Hitler! The man seemed to be a person of power and the serious look on his face made Michael feel uncomfortable. It made him feel oppressed and he could see the people inside the town feel the same too although they seemed to be living in much better conditions than the people he had seen behind the fences. He noticed watch towers around the town and in the other towns which he could see on the neighboring mountains.
Michael was coughing and sniffling like crazy now. They hurried forward towards a bridge that led to the anther mountain. It seemed that Elena was very well-known here since a lot of people smiled at her while others greeted her. Some of them curiously eyed Micheal but didn't say anything.
It's like I'm walking with a celebrity, thought Micheal.
They entered the clinic which basically consisted of different cabins arranged side by side. Elena put her rifle and backpack against a wall. The cabin was heated which gave Michael a whole flood of relief. She led him to one of the beds which were arranged in rows. Michael could see two other people in the beds fast asleep.
A person entered the room while Elena rummaged frantically through a drawer. She was a middle-aged woman with blonde curly hair named Diamond who worked as one of the nurses at the clinic. Her chubby body jiggled as she approached Elena.
"Hey, Elena," she yawned again. "My shift's over. I'm heading home, dear."
Elena looked at her and nodded. "Goodnight."
"Who is this guy?" she asked. "Is he new here?"
"I found him beyond the Perimeter."
"Oh," Diamond said her expression turning serious. "You sure he isn't an escaped Jew?"
"No, he's got amnesia and a high fever. He seems to be from the city. I'll get that checked out at the customs."
"Well you be better be careful, girl," she said eyeing Michael suspiciously. "You can't trust anyone from beyond the Perimeter especially after what happened last time. Take care."
Elena found the medicine which she was looking for and poured it into a small plastic canister. She gave it to Michael who gulped it immediately. He could instantly feel the pleasant warmth flood inside his whole body and he thanked Elena again. He laid his head on the bed and before he could say anything else, drifted to sleep.
**
March 9, 2032
The Peak City, Old Colorado
Elena asked Michael several questions the next morning and diagnosed that he did have amnesia. She had even asked him about what he had seen in his dreams if he had had any but he had said that he could not remember. Though she could not figure out how he had lost his memory since there did not seem to be any signs of external or internal injuries. He seemed to know general things about the world but all those seemed to belong to the time before the respawners had arrived. It was as if he had been in a cave for all these years. He had a very heavy fever and still lay in the bed.
"Thanks… for the help," he said to Elena in a low, tired voice. He also had a slight throat infection which made his voice hoarse.
I'm the reason you got sick, she thought still annoyed at herself. "No problem."
Michael heaved himself up in a sitting position. "I'd have probably been in a worse situation if not for you. Wouldn't have even lasted for much long if not for your kindness. I owe you big time."
That's probably true but still, she thought. I could've done a lot better though.
"Either way," she replied. "You haven't healed yet so you shouldn't be thanking me. You need your rest."
"I feel a lot better from yesterday. Whatever that medicine was did wonders," said Michael. "No wonder everyone here likes you."
She accepted the compliment and let the satisfactory buzz flow through her, but only for a few seconds. It felt like a drug, that buzz, that feeling of happiness and that is why she did not let it flow through her for long. She pushed the compliment out of her mind before she could feel a smile form on her face. That was what she always did when someone said something nice about her. That was what it was like to live in a constant state of denial.
Michael rested for the next few days in which he tried hard to remember anything from his past but failed to do so miserably. He also couldn't remember any of the dreams he had after he would wake up. It was as if the moment he woke up, the dream would hide behind the curtain that was shielding all his memories. It was very frustrating but Elena had advised him to stay calm.